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Show I . Paul Oakenfold British DJproducer storms the States Desmond By Douglas who's into dance music has heard of Paul Oakenfold. One of the most successful he's spun his melodic progressive trance all over the planet. Although he's been popular in Europe and Asia for years he opened some European dates of U2's it wasn't until the 1998 ZooTV tour and plays for thousands of fans every weekend in the States. Now he's known release of Trancesport (Kinetic Records) that he became mixed a new double-Cspecifically for the American market, Perfecto Presents Another World (LondonSire), to showcase more diverse material. It moves smoothly from underground trance hits to a brilliant remix of Led Zeppelin's "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" to music from Bladerunner over the course of two superbly programmed sets. Bom in London, Oakenfold first gained exposure to DJ culture in New York, where he danced at trendsetting early '80s nightclubs like Studio 54 and the Paradise Garage. He then returned to England where he popularized acid house and early techno after hearing He has enjoyed a before embracing trance in the it on a holiday trip to Ibiza second career as a producer, working with or remixing acts as diverse as U2, Snoop Dogg and the Rolling Stones. Anyone D mid-'90- s. Meet Paul Oakenfold STS: You said several years ago that America lags behind Europe in the appreciation of dance music. Has America caught up? PO: Absolutely. It was behind in the sense that dance music actually came from America, America started it the English just took it and gave it a twist. Then dance culture became youth culture in England, whereas in America it was obviously more driven by rock and R&B and Now actually think it's better here. It's fresh, it's exciting, it's fun that's why got into this business. In England it's very political, because it's a billion-dollbusiness. Here it's really young and exciting. In England they want to be a DJ because of the money. Here you're all into it for the love of the music. hip-ho- I p. I ar m m On success as a DJ: "Be as STS: Do you have any advice for someone interested getting into the industry either as or in promotions? PO: Just focus on what you're doing, and try to be as original as possible. From a DJing point of view, get demos out. If you want to get into the record business, write loads of letters and follow them up. Be as professional as possible. And for producers, these days it's much easier because you can just burn a CD-So make it, and then burn it onto CD, and then give it to the DJs you want to hear it. in a DJ original as possible. Get demos out. Write loads of letters and follow them up. Be as professional as possible." R. STS: What are you working on at the moment? PO: I'm working on the score for a summer blockbuster called Swordfish, a $90 million John Travolta film. And I've just done the remix for a Darren Aronofsky movie called Requiem for a Dream. I'm layering dance beats and various different things. At the a computer-base-d moment we're using studio. like to get in as many live musicians as possible, record what they're doing, then put it in and start editwill it. have show a mix show, not also radio. It's be on a to be that ing university going just underground dance stuff, but bands that I've worked with. I've just finished the dance mix of the new U2 record. Pro-Too- I ls Pro-Too- STS: How do you think that the Internet affect the development of dance music? PO: It's a very good medium for dance, and it becomes like an underground network. Brazil's a perfect example. was actually in Brazil a ago. doubt if will month-and-a-ha- lf there single club that will be playing, say, speed garage, in Brazil. People in Brazil would never be able to listen to speed garage unless it was through the Internet. So that's why it's important. I is a 2 steamtunnels.net DOB: Aug. 30, 1965 Born and raised: London College: Westminister Tech Major: "I'm a fully qualified chef." ls I I STATS ES Want More? 1111 Favorite food: "Anything from a cafeteria to a plush restaurant. From Cuban food to Japanese, like ail kinds." I Favorite web sites: NASA (nasa.gov), the Four Seasons (fourseasons.com), the Chelsea football club (chelseafc.co.uk). To students: "Thanks for the support. Universities and colleges have always been an important part of what do. One day would like to do a tour of universities in America." I I |
